cleanse

Juicing, in the healthy, body-cleansing sense, is about substituting solid meals with fresh, organic, (mostly vegetable) juices. It's a great way to reset your digestion, cleanse some toxins, and even lose a few pounds, but it's not for everyone. If you're of the "I cannot stomach another green juice" camp, you don't have to endure an all-liquid diet to detox, we promise. There are countless organic, fresh-pressed juice and food cleanses on the market aiming to rid your body of toxins (two of our staffers love are Joulebody and Sakara Life). But that doesn't mean you have to use a specific (and sometimes pricy) service. Instead, you can utilize your best detox tool—your body—and help it efficiently cleanse itself with these detoxifying nutrition tips. Detox Secret #1: Stay Properly Hydrated The number one way to cleanse your body is to hydrate, which happens to be the basis of juice fasts (and could be the reason people claim to feel better when they're finished with them). Registered dietitian LeeAnn Weintraub says, "Drinking adequate fluid helps support all of the bodily processes that flush toxins and waste from the body." But if you're not sure how much liquid to drink each day, read more

It's no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow likes a good cleanse—the juice kind, the whole-food kind, and even the...you know, vagina kind. But recently, on Goop, Gwyneth introduced her newest favorite cleanse for the cold winter months: soup—a warm, comfort-food go-to. Why soup? According to Goop: "Since it relies primarily on vegetables rather than fruits, it’s super low on the glycemic scale, and it’s packed with fiber, which makes it pretty filling." And that's true—several studies have found that people who eat broth-based soup (not bisques or anything creamy, which can be super-high in calories and fat) before eating end up eating fewer calories overall. Another benefit of a soup cleanse, Gwyneth reports: "Because you get to eat (rather than drink) your meals, time on the cleanse felt like any other day, rather than a trying period to get through on the path to a clearer head and increased energy." Apparently, you can have premade soup cleanses delivered to your door, just as you would with other types of cleanses (Gwyneth recommends Soupure), but she also offers some ideas for DIY-ing your own soup cleanse too, with recipes like Roasted Clean Carrot Soup, Thai Curry Soup, and Leek and Celery Root read more

Is there a juicer in your life? Someone who regularly "cleanses"? If so, I'll bet at least one of the phrases in this video sounds a wee bit familiar. That's right: It's "Sh*t Juicers Say". The video was made Pressed Juicery, which itself carries cold-pressed juices and one- to five-day cleanses—and the people behind it have clearly heard everything when it comes to juicers (and have a healthy sense of humor about it!). I laughed (and, um, it's possible I may have said one or two of these things at some point in my past...ha!). What did you think of the vid? read more

Look at these—Taylor Swift's chai sugar cookies: Chai sugar cookies with cinnamon eggnog icing a.k.a. Christmas in September. A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Sep 9, 2014 at 5:18am PDT Delish, no doubt! But I have a sneaking suspicion many of us are almost at full capacity when it comes eating some sort of variation on these (not to mention wine...eggnog...pie...cake...chocolates...oh, goodness, the list does go on). So if you're feeling ready to flush out some of that overindulgence from the last few days, here are a few things you can do. 1: Eat raw fruits and veggies. Not only are many fruits and vegetables high in water content (see point No. 2), they also contain glutathione—a natural protein that grabs toxins and helps flush them out. A few that are especially high in glutathione: carrots, grapefruit, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, and asparagus. 2: Drink lots of water. Cocktails, alcohol, salt-laden snacks, sugary treats...they can all deplete your body's water stores, leaving you dehydrated and feeling kind of slumpy. Research suggests that having more water in your system can help your kidneys filter out toxins. More H2O can also lend health benefits to your digestive system—namely, easing constipation. 3: read more

When you overhear someone say they're "on a cleanse," "giving up gluten," and/or "eating clean" this week, Dr. Frank Lipman's Be Well cleanse is likely the inspiration. Dr. Lipman has helped many well-known clients cleanse their lives from the inside out, and he's one of the go-to experts on eating clean and living a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Lipman believes in nutrition, not counting calories. Brown rice, not whole wheat. Don't even think of mentioning "gluten" around him. He's also a big fan of acupuncture, yoga, and breathing (which, surprisingly, we all fail to do properly most of the time). If you're curious why his devotees (like Donna Karan and Gwyneth Paltrow) gush about him, try his two-week cleanse. By removing grains, dairy, allergens, and inflammation-causing foods from your diet, you'll be eating mostly lean, organic protein, spices, nuts, veggies, fruits, and fish. Not only will you lose weight, but you might lose some allergies, swelling, bloating, and fatigue too. What to eat: Here's the list of allowed and not allowed foods. What to drink: Unlimited water and unsweetened tea. Caffeine is a no-no, but if you must have it, Dr. Lipman says stick to one cup, use unsweetened almond, rice, read more

You hear all kinds of news about cleanses—why? One reason may be because there all kinds of cleanses, from juice-only to raw foods. If you're considering a cleanse, Marissa Vicario, a board-certified health coach and healthy-living expert, has these tips for figuring out what might be the best type for you. Juice Only could be good for: someone who understands that juice-only isn't a quick-fix for weight loss or to correct poor eating habits. "A cleanse like this should be undertaken when recommended and supervised by a medical professional," she says. "Many commercial juice-only cleanses contain high amounts of sugar from the fruits and vegetables in the juice; any weight lost tends to be water weight." Liquids Only could be good for: someone who has digestive disorders or needs to let her digestive system rest. "A cleanse that includes juices, smoothies, and blended soups is only slightly better than an all-juice cleanse because you'll get the benefit of the fiber from the produce blended in the soups and smoothies. Again, best done under doctor supervision for more than a day. Juice Plus Whole Foods could be good for: someone who wants to hit the "reset" button, reduce sugar cravings and read more

If you've ever considered a juice (or not-just-juice) cleanse, there are actually lots of things to think about before deciding to go for it. And, speaking as someone who has tried out plenty of cleanses before (and is, in fact, logging day three of a just-juice cleanse right now—what can I say? I like guinea-pigging when it comes to writing about health!), these tips from Marissa Vicario, a board-certified health coach and healthy-living expert (who helms Marissa's Well-Being and Health blog) are especially interesting. 1: Why do you want to do it? Before you decide to embark on a cleanse, says Marissa, give some good thought as to why you want to. "Hopefully, it's not because it's trendy or all your friends are doing it," she says. "If you want to drop 10 pounds fast for an upcoming vacation or 'undo' drinking and sugar binges, you'd be better off consistently exercising and sensibly cleaning up your diet for long-term weight loss and health since most of the weight lost on a juice cleanse tends to be water weight and muscle." Plus, she says, there are people who shouldn't do juice cleanses: anyone with certain health conditions or on certain medications, read more

Stuffing. Pumpkin pie. Chocolate-covered everything. Sound like your most recent holiday meal? This December four Glamour staffers tested out a 5-Day Post-Thanksgiving Cleanse from Sakara Life, a Brooklyn-based vegan meal delivery service. Note: All four staffers are card-carrying carnivores. So as 2014 rapidly approaches and you frantically scribble down that list of New Year's resolutions, consider replacing "Juice Cleanse" with "Vegan Cleanse" (hey, Beyonce's doing it! #22daysvegan), taking into account our roundup of pros and cons: Pro: Five days is a helluva easier than seven. Those two days off are key. (Just don't eat a cheeseburger!) Pro: The meals are fairly filling, thanks in part to being jam-packed with superfoods like quinoa, flaxseed, and goji berries. And the portions are not small—even for the one male staffer who participated! (Though I personally chose to supplement with an apple a day—one of the few approved low-glycemic fruit snack items.) Con: There is no portion variation based on your height, weight, or gender. You're expected to listen to your body and stop when you are full (or eat some blueberries if you're starving), but the 6'1" male in our group received the same portions as the 5'3" female. Pro: You can choose read more

My cleanse: Organic Avenue, beloved of celebutantes (Gwyneth plugged it on Goop!), offers a variety of vegan cleanses of varying intensity levels. Being a carnivore with a sweet tooth and regular salt cravings—basically someone who really, really loves to eat everything all the time—I figured a juice-only diet would do me in. So I agreed to try the “Love Easy,” a veggie-riffic 5-day cleanse with just-juice in the mornings and evening, and small-portion solid food in the afternoon. read more

So what good can come from consuming nothing but six bottles of fresh-pressed, organic juice a day? A lot, according Ritual Cleanse: mental clarity, abundance of energy, happier mood, better digestion, decreased desire for salt and sugar, craving for fresh fruits and veggies, glowing skin, more restful sleep, weight loss, and increased sex drive. All by "flooding the cells with vitamins and minerals that gently cleanse and heal your body without the harsh 'detox' symptoms associated with other cleanses." Too good to be true, right? I didn't know. But I was about to find out. read more